I've been reluctant to take medication for sleep most of my life, thinking that if my body needed sleep, it would happen naturally.

For two years (yes, years) I got no more than 2 or 3 hours of sleep a night but still managed to feel good and was very productive at work. I now realize I must have been hypomanic during this period. I felt so well that I stopped seeing my psychiatrist because I didn't want to waste his time, and I stopped taking my antidepressant medication because I obviously didn't need it.

A couple of years ago, I again had trouble sleeping. Most nights I got 2 to 3 hours of sleep, but some nights I didn't get any sleep at all. I was tired (pun intended) of being tired and it certainly didn't help my depression or ability to function.

I'm currently taking Nitrazepam which seems to be helping with sleep. Since I'm experiencing some rather unusual fatigue that requires me to rest often throughout the day, that might also be a factor in my increased hours of sleep.

In any case, get some help for your insomnia. It only aggravates mood swings (even if they are partly to blame for your lack of sleep).